Lean on Me
by Selvet
Summary: Harvey Specter is a hot-shot lawyer in New York City. He's got it all: fast cars, fancy condo, beautiful women, incredible job, and money. He's living a perfect bachelor life...and has no desire to change it. So what will he do when seven-year-old Lux is dropped into his life? Will he step up to the challenges of parenthood or run away from it all?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Hi Suits fandom! I'm Sabrina :) This is my first Suits fic so I'm super nervous haha. But I got this idea a while ago and then while reading this other Suits fic, I was inspired to actually write mine! I want to give a big thanks to my friend Haley for helping me decide on the name and age and sort-of FC of my little OC :) (It's Maggie Elizabeth Jones btw aha). I also want to thank my friend** Jemmz** and the author of one of my favoriteee Suits fics, **Phoenix on cloud nine **for looking this over for me!

Make sure to leave a review and tell me what you think! Xx

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"_When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny." _

-Paulo Coelho

Harvey sat in his office, reading over a few files, familiarizing himself with the new case. It wasn't actually anything _new _though…nothing they hadn't dealt with before. Just some unhappy customers trying to sue one of the firm's clients over a "faulty" product. It was a ridiculous claim and there was no threat of losing. He'd won this case a hundred times before and this one wouldn't be any different. Knowing this allowed him to relax, listen to the soft sound of one of his favorite records as it filled the room. It was Friday and he couldn't wait to get home and have a stress-free weekend.

Suddenly, Mike burst into the room, immediately giving his little speech about something he had discovered about their client. Harvey looked at him, semi-annoyed, semi-amused by his associate's enthusiasm. He listened, eyebrows arched as the young man went on, but he couldn't seem to focus. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his assistant answer the phone, then proceed to glance over at her boss with a confused expression. Harvey's brow furrowed when his phone began to ring loudly, causing Mike to halt his rant. He frowned, shooting Donna an annoyed look. He motioned to himself and then Mike, as if to inform her that he was too busy. Donna shook her head and pointed to the phone, looking as confused as she was curious.

Harvey sighed, picking up the phone finally.

"Harvey Specter speaking," he answered, sounding almost monotonous.

"Hey, Harvard," a woman's voice joked.

He chuckled, motioning for Mike to leave as he leaned back in his chair. "Good afternoon, _officer._"

"Actually it's detective now."

"Oh? Is that why my assistant looked so worried? You told her you were a detective for the NYPD? _Detective Angela Meers_…has a nice ring to it you know," he teased, turning to stare out the window, his back to his curious coworkers.

"_Thanks,_" Angela replied sarcastically.

Harvey had known Angela her entire life; she'd been born about the same time as his younger brother, Nathan, making Harvey about nine years older. He wasn't really sure how their parents met, but he remembered that they were always together at each other's houses while he was often stuck babysitting his brother and Angela. She quickly became like a little sister to him. Although she and Nathan grew up together, they spent years competing for Harvey's attention - not that _he _minded; he'd always found it mildly amusing to see the two argue and then for his brother to _let _her win. He knew that even though Nathan would never admit it, he'd always had a bit of a crush on her. And in their senior year of high school, Nathan finally got the courage to ask her to prom and they'd been together, off and on, ever since. Harvey thought it was a bit cliché, but he was still happy for his kid brother.

Harvey shrugged to himself, grinning. "So how can I help you, Angela?"

There was a silence on the other line, quickly bringing the frown back. He began to wonder why she was calling in the first place. Harvey rarely had time to see his brother, so he rarely saw Angela either. And now she was calling him at work out of the blue with what sounded like bad news.

"Is this about Nathan?" he asked slowly. "Need me to talk to him?" His voice was a little joking as he tried to mask some of the building worry.

"No. Nathan and I are fine… Harvey…I actually called on business… They didn't want _me _to tell you…but I uh, I thought it should be me," she said slowly, her voice was grave. "It's about Anna…Anna Rhodes."

Harvey's brow furrowed at the name. _Anna Rhodes_ had been a young photographer who'd just moved from Seattle to work for Vogue when they met. Angela knew her through a family friend and introduced her to Harvey in hopes of getting her over her last bad relationship. Surprisingly, they hit it off almost right away. Even Harvey was a little shocked to find himself interested in someone who wasn't a lawyer or connected to that business in any way. But there'd been something about Anna that drew him to her, made him curious enough to pursue her and so different than his usual 'type.'

For Anna, he'd originally just been a rebound; she'd never actually thought she'd fall for him. She occasionally referred to as a 'flight risk,' and the second she got an amazing job offer from National Geographic, she'd left. Obviously Harvey had simply told himself that the job was why she left, but the truth was that she had been terrified. She didn't want to get into something as serious as their relationship had been getting, then have it all ripped out from under her the second she got comfortable. And so she was gone.

But Harvey, being Harvey, had never acted phased by it. He had focused back on his work and easily returned to his one night stands. It'd been about eight years since he'd last heard that name, and now he was suddenly getting a phone call from the police about her?

"Yeah…I remember Anna," he said calmly, straightening up a little in his chair.

"H-Harvey…" He heard Angela's voice crack. "She's dead. Anna's dead."

Harvey didn't reply. He couldn't. His face grew pale as he tried to comprehend what she had just told him. Anna had always been so _alive. _She was the most lively person he'd ever met. How could she be _dead? _It didn't make sense. He stood up, passing a hand over his face as he leaned against his desk a little for support. He could feel Donna and Mike's eyes on him, but he refused to look back at them. For all he knew, they could be listening to the conversation, the last thing he want was for them to see his slipping composure as well. Though, knowing Donna, she probably would've hung up by that point.

"I'm sorry…" he said. "I know she was a good friend of yours."

Angela laughed quietly. "We hadn't talked in a few years…"

Harvey was silent for a long time, trying to think of what to say, anything to say.

"When? What happened?"

"Harvey, like I said, I'm calling on business…" she began. "And I think you should come down to the precinct so we can talk in person. It would be easier to um, explain the rest…there's a lot more I need to tell you."

"The rest? What is the 'rest' exactly?"

"Just please come…"

After hesitating for a minute he sighed. "Alright. I'll be there as soon as I can…" he agreed without protest. If it had been anyone else he might've insisted they just tell him over the phone, or kept them waiting, but he couldn't do that to Angela. Not right now.

Harvey hung up the phone and carefully placed the files on his desk into his briefcase. Harvey didn't like to worry, he didn't _do _worry. Hell, he didn't do _emotion._ But as he reached for his suit jacket, he became aware of how badly his hands were shaking. He willed himself to regain his composure as he headed for the door.

Mike stood beside Donna at her desk, both watching him curiously. Harvey had actually been surprised to see that his assistant hadn't been listening in on the call.

"Donna, cancel my meetings for the rest of the day; I'm not sure how long I'll be gone for and call Ray to come pick me up, please. Thank you," he said, putting emphasis on the 'thank you' them, pretending to text on his blackberry to avoid further conversation.

Donna, wide-eyed at his politeness, nodded to his back and quickly turned to the associate. Harvey could hear them bickering over who should figure out what happened behind him. And soon Mike, who had obviously lost, caught up to him still holding onto the files he'd brought in before the call. He walked beside Harvey, opening his mouth a few times to speak but quickly shut it again. The older man rolled his eyes.

"Shouldn't you be working instead of following me around like a lost puppy?" he snapped a little more harshly than intended.

Mike frowned. "I was just…Donna wanted to…Donna and I were just wondering…" Harvey glanced at him with an expression that yelled, 'just spit it out!' "Um…is everything…alright?"

"Why? Are you _worried_ about me?" Harvey asked, his tone mocking. He stopped and turned to Mike, smirking at the younger man, eyebrows arched.

"Wh-what? Pft! No!" Mike scoffed, attempting to wipe his face clear of any emotion. He looked up at his boss, clearing his throat and attempting to mimic Harvey's tone. "I'm Mike Ross. I'm a corporate lawyer. I don't care about anyone."

"Cute." Harvey rolled his eyes and chuckled, feeling slightly proud at his associate's joke. Mike stood in front of him smirking now. "Get back to work."

He nodded quickly, realizing they were standing by his cubicle. "Uh, yeah, I'll do that. Back to work…" he muttered as Harvey walked away.

* * *

When Harvey arrived at the precinct, he strode in confidently as he looked around for Angela. He was hopelessly out of place, in his $2,000, three-piece suit in a sea of dark police uniforms. He quickly found his friend waiting by the door that led to the main room where cops were working diligently. He made his way over, giving her his winning smile.

"_Angela_," he greeted her as she grinned back.

"It's good to see you, Harvey," she replied, giving him a quick hug. "Though I wish it was under better circumstances."

Harvey nodded in agreement, his smile fading as he followed her through the doors into the bustling room of dark uniforms that reminded him of some sort of police drama. He had to admit it was interesting; he'd been to police stations briefly before when he worked as a prosecutor for the DA, but this one just seemed nicer than the others. Everything was fairly clean, though a few of the desks reminded him of the Pearson Hardman associates' desks after Louis got new case. The walls were white, but not a blinding white, and the floor had a dark blue tiles. Two sides of the large room had steps that led up to walkways that were horizontal to the main office. There were a few offices with glass walls along the walkway, lined with a couple larger desks each, and obviously a ton of paperwork. He figured they were probably for the detectives since Angela seemed to be leading him to one of them that was apparently her own.

"Nice office," he commented as Angela took a seat behind her desk. He sat down on a seat across from her, still staring around the room.

"Yeah, comes with the job." She shrugged jokingly.

"Do you have a kid that I don't know about?" He chuckled, eyeing some toys, a small purple sweater and _Where the Wild Things Are_ lying on the small couch in the corner of the room.

"_No_," Angela said quickly, shaking her head. Harvey waited for her to elaborate but she simply glanced at the file on her desk sadly.

Harvey leaned back in his seat, elbows resting on the arms of the chair as he held his hands together in front of his stomach. He stared thoughtfully at the tan folder on her desk and then up at the young woman staring at it.

"So what happened?" he asked finally.

"House fire. Late Wednesday night…" she took a deep breath, picking up the file. "The uh…fire department…when they got there the house was almost completely demolished. Nathan was there…he told us that the house was too messed up to figure out where the fire originated exactly, but they were able to tell it started somewhere on the right side."

Harvey remained silent, wondering why his brother hadn't called him and told him. It'd been two days and he was only just finding out.

"But um…they still went in when they got there obviously. They couldn't get to Anna's room – it was on the side of the house that was basically gone already. One of them was able to get into another room and they found Anna's kid."

The lawyer's eyes widened a bit. "She had a kid?"

Angela nodded. "A seven-year-old daughter," she told him slowly, emphasizing the 'seven' as she stared at him intently. "She was fine besides a cough from the smoke inhalation. I'm not really sure the circumstances of where they found her that kept her from getting really injured though. They kept her in the hospital overnight to make sure they hadn't missed anything. Her aunt and uncle are flying in from Florida today…Nathan was at the fire station all night so she stayed at our place last night."

Harvey tried to pay attention but he couldn't. His eyes were trained on the edge of the desk in front of him and his whole body felt stiff. Anna had a seven-year-old daughter. A _seven-year-old. _The number kept repeating itself in his head. _Seven. Seven. Seven. _Finally he looked up at his friend, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

"She's here." The young detective pointed out of the glass window towards the main room. At one of the desks sat a little girl and a young police man, coloring and laughing over something a cop next to them had said. She was cute, small, had her strawberry-blonde hair, that was much like Anna's, tied up in little pigtails and a bright smile on her face. Held between her left arm and side was an old, stuffed tiger that looked like it'd been dragged around with the child for years. He found himself wondering if she'd dragged that out of the fire with her.

He watched her, his heart beating in his ears. "What's her name?" he asked quietly. "What's going to happen to her?"

"Her name is Lux," Angela answered, watching Harvey with kind eyes. "As for what's going to 'happen to her'… well we originally thought she'd go to her aunt and uncle. But Anna's lawyer brought over a copy of her will earlier today. It said who Anna wanted to take Lux in the unlikely case that she passed away before her daughter was eighteen" She paused. "…She wanted Lux's father to have custody. Harvey, that's why I called you…"

Harvey turned slowly, face as calm as it could be. He stared at Angela intently, leaning back in the chair again, his fists slightly clenched. He wished he was misinterpreting what she was saying, that she needed him as a lawyer to help with the custody or something. Running a hand through his dirty-blonde hair, he glanced over at little Lux again, his lips forming a tight line. He opened his mouth to speak, but realizing how dry his mouth felt, he swallowed thickly and cleared his throat.

"Is she…?" He was sure he already knew the answer, but couldn't find it in him to continue as he watched the girl. She had slid off her seat and was tugging at the hand of the cop that had been coloring with her. She was giggling wildly as the man stood, holding one of her hands, and one of the tiger's paws as they did an awkward little dance. The other one who had been joking around with them earlier was teasing his friend and Lux threw her head back in laughter when her babysitter dragged him up as well. He chuckled quietly as he gazed down at her.

He turned back to Angela, shaking his head. She had never answered his question but the look on her face confirmed it.

"I didn't know. I had _no idea. _She…no one ever told me that I…all of this time and she never even called to tell me I had a daughter?" he passed a hand over his face. "How is she?"

"Good, I think. The social worker she spoke to said she seemed fine, but she wasn't sure if she was just being strong or if she didn't really understand. And I don't know if she told _anyone_. She was out of the country for a couple years after you two ended it, remember? Lux was born in Italy according to these records. I wasn't sure…when I read the will so I checked her birth certificate and you're named as the father…she actually has your last name too. I don't know if she ever _planned _on telling anyone…_much less you._" Angela glanced down at the file before handing it to Harvey.

He took it and immediately began to read. _Lux Rhodes-Specter. Born: October 13, 2004 - Florence, Italy. Mother: Anna Rhodes, Father: Harvey Specter. _He stared down at his name…right next to the word, 'father.' He shook his head again.

"And Anna wanted _me _to have her?" He carefully closed the file looking up at the detective with a confused and pained expression. She simply nodded at him.

"I don't know, Angela… Is that really a good idea? She doesn't even know me! Wouldn't she be _better off _with her aunt and uncle? With people she's know her whole life?" he asked, sounding exasperated.

Harvey stood up, quickly finding himself pacing back and forth across the office, hands on the back of his head. He was very visibly distressed by all of this, and his usual I-don't-care-about-anyone-or-anything-but-me façade had started failing him the second he got that phone call and now was nearly completely gone.

"Harvey…Harvey!" Angela raised her voice to catch his attention. He looked at her, slowing his pacing. "Trust me, I haven't the slightest idea why she'd pick _you_ of all people to raise a kid, especially when she has two people who are completely cut out for it and haven't been absent from her life for nearly eight years! But don't you think she had to have some reason then, to choose you over them? Her ex-boyfriend…over her actual family? I mean, I'm not trying to guilt you into this or anything…it's really up to you…but don't you think you owe it to Anna to at least try?"

He stopped at this, staring out the window at Anna's…_his _daughter. She was so small and innocent, sitting on the chair and hugging her stuffed tiger like it was all she had left as she smiled brightly at the two officers entertaining her. _What the hell, Anna? _his mind yelled as he collapsed into the chair again. His brown eyes stared at his ex-girlfriend's photo in the open file.

"Just meet her…and we can go from there…" Angela suggested quietly.

Harvey was silent for a long time. He didn't know what to think, he didn't know what to _feel. _Harvey Specter didn't _do _emotion…Harvey Specter didn't _do _caring. And now they wanted to hand the "emotionally unavailable" corporate lawyer a seven-year-old girl to take care of? It was insane. But it was _Anna._

"Okay…I'll meet her," he agreed finally, giving his friend a small smirk. "But I should warn you, I'm not that great with kids. I mean, I babysat you and Nathan all the time and look at you two now. A cop and firefighter…" He shook his head.

"_Shut up_, you're proud of us," she laughed, lightly pushing him as they headed to the door. She was glad he seemed to be at least trying to go back to his calm, collected, _cocky_ self. "Let's go introduce you to your daughter."

Harvey nodded, following her out of the office. _So much for that stress-free weekend, _he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Here's chapter 2! Thanks so much for all of the reviews, favorites, and alerts! I'm happy that people are liking the story :) I'm loving writing it!I might have a tiny obsession with Daddy!Harvey ;) And I hope I'm either getting some of you to also love that or increasing your love haha.

Well I'd like to thank **Jemmz, Emtheunicorn, **and **Phoenix on cloud nine **for looking this over for me :) You should all check out their amazing stories!

Another random note: To help, if you're kind of wondering what Lux looks like, Maggie Elizabeth Jones from We Bought a Zoo and Footloose is my "FC" that I use for her :) And if you want to see some cute GIFs that Jemma, my friend Helen and I have made for the story you can check them on my tumblr here: harveymacht . tumblr tagged / lean+on+me (just remove the spaces)

And since I didn't do this the first chapter because I forgot like I always do: I do NOT own Suits or any of it's characters, but I do own Lux, Angela, Anna and sort-of Nathan. Because if I did own Suits...we'd never get any filming done because I'd be following Gabe and Patrick around all day. Um and I also don't own the two Rookie Blue cops that I stole for this chapter.

And now to the story! Make sure to leave me a review and tell me what you think! Xx

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"_One of my hardest jobs as a father, one of my greatest duties, was to realize that my own dreams, my own goals and wishes, are secondary to my children's."_

-Rick Riordan, _The Red Pyramid _

**Lux's POV:**

Lux sat in the tall, swively chair grinning widely. Hugging her stuffed tiger close, she giggled as Officer Diaz and Officer Collins - who had insisted the little girl just call them Chris and Ben - danced for her. Chris lightly held one of her hands, helping her do a little spin on the chair, then switched and held the stuffed animal's paw as they did another turn. Ben sat down, claiming he was too dizzy from all of the ballerina dancing and soon Chris followed him, suggesting they take a break and color for a little while. She nodded, breathless from laughter as she turned back to her drawing.

Lux liked them. They weren't mean like she had originally thought cops were and they definitely weren't scary. When she'd woken up in the hospital, she'd been absolutely terrified. She hadn't known where she was and she'd cried for nearly an hour, asking for her mommy. And then when Ms. Meers, the lady who she'd stayed with the night before, and Chris came in, she'd been even more scared. But right away, the young officer sat down on the seat next to her and held out her stuffed tiger for her. That had been enough to calm the little girl down for the time being, and make her decide that she liked the young man. And when an old woman - Ms. Meers said she was a social worker - came in to explain what had happened, the two cops stayed to comfort her.

She'd been hanging out with Officer Diaz for most of the day, since Ms. Meers had assigned him to be her 'babysitter' for the day. When she heard that she'd immediately said that she was _not _a baby, and she didn't need a babysitter. She didn't really mind though. Chris had let her crawl around in one of the police cruisers, taken her to go get lunch in one and even let her briefly turn on the siren while they were in the parking lot. And now they were back to drawing in a Disney coloring book that Officer Collins had gotten for her. She had immediately called dibs on all of the Rapunzel pictures, and then proceeded to tell the officer that he couldn't color any of the Peter Pan pages because, "…only Mommy can do those ones."

She lightly kicked her legs back and forth as she did her best to color in Rapunzel's long hair and stay in the lines. Lux glanced over at Chris who was neatly coloring in Flounder on a _The Little Mermaid_ page. She was proud to say that hers was much neater. She started back on her own picture, biting her bottom lip a little, focusing so intently one might think she was working on some sort of masterpiece.

"Can I borrow the pink?" she asked sweetly, deciding to take a break on the air and start on the princess' dress.

"Of course," Chris replied with a smile as Lux reached forward, taking it from a small pile near his picture. He found it cute that she actually asked, even when he wasn't using that color.

"Thanks!"

Lux quickly began to work on the princess' dress, her brow furrowing when she accidentally went outside of the lines. After the fifth time, she simply shrugged and moved on. There wasn't really much of a point sulking over a few little mistakes. At least that's what her mother had always told her. The thought made her pause, biting down on her lip a little harder. Of course she missed her mom…of course it scared her, the idea of being without her. It had always really just been the two of them and now…well now it was just her. Lux didn't like the thought of being on her own, but she understood that her mother was gone and there wasn't much she could do.

Lux wondered what would happen to her. Her home was gone…and she constantly found herself worrying about the fact that she really didn't have anywhere to go. She knew that her aunt and uncle were coming, but she really didn't want to live with _them. _They were mean, and whenever they came to visit and had to watch her for a little while, they wouldn't let her do _anything. _And when her mommy was there, Aunt Evelyn and Uncle Marcus weren't nice to her either, which of course didn't sit well with Lux. They were what she referred to as 'snobs' and that was it. Besides, most of her life she'd been under the impression that they didn't really like her.

The little girl tightened her grip on the colored pencil, the pink becoming a darker shade on the page. She clutched her stuffed tiger closer, offering some small comfort.

"Lux, honey?" she heard Ms. Meers' voice say.

She looked up at the detective, smiling sweetly.

"I have someone here to meet you," she continued. "Officer Diaz, why don't you take a break?"

The young cop nodded, standing up. "See ya later, kiddo." He lightly ruffled Lux's hair as he passed her, causing her to giggle as she attempted to shield herself.

When she looked back up at Ms. Meers, she noticed a tall man standing slightly behind her. He had a nice suit, dark blonde hair, and reminded her of her uncle, Marcus - only this man looked nicer. Well…he looked _nervous. And a little sad, _she noted.

"Lux, this is Harvey Specter…he's -"

"I was a friend of your mom's," the man cut in.

"Hi, Mr. Specter," she chirped, cocking her head to the side a little as she gave him a small smile.

"Hi…um, you can call me Harvey." he glanced over at Ms. Meers quickly. "Could I sit here and uh, color with you?"

Lux thought for a moment, her eyes also flitting over to the woman, then back to the man. "Okay…_Harvey? _But that's Chris' picture…" she said when he sat down in the officer's seat, getting on her knees to reach over and pick up the half-colored Ariel. She carefully leafed through the book. "Do you wanna do Nemo or um…Cinderella?"

Ms. Meers coughed suddenly, though even Lux was able to tell she was just trying to hide her laugh.

"Hm, let's go with…Cinderella."

Lux grinned, tearing out the paper as neatly as possible - which meant jagged edges and a chunk missing from the bottom left corner of the page. She handed the picture of Cinderella dancing with Prince Charming and a small handful of colored pencils over to the man.

The detective whispered something to Harvey, the small, anxious smile still on her face.

"I think we'll be fine…"

She nodded then kneeled down by Lux. "Are you going to be okay?"

The seven-year-old nodded. Why wouldn't she be? She noted how the two adults both seemed awfully nervous about something, like they were tip-toeing around her…not telling her something. And she wasn't a big fan of secrets. And she couldn't help but find something familiar about Harvey…

* * *

**Harvey's POV:  
**

Harvey had slowly followed Angela out to the main office, fidgeting with his suit jacket. He caught himself smiling when he heard her ask to borrow one of the colored pencils. He didn't really hang around kids very often, but when he did, they tended to be the firm clients' spoiled brats that acted as if 'thank you' and 'please' weren't even in their vocabulary.

"Lux, honey?" Angela said when they reached the officer and child.

The girl glanced up at them and Harvey found himself momentarily taken aback by the familiar eyes looking at him. Anna had had grey blue eyes. Although Lux looked like a little version of her mother, the eyes were most definitely not something they shared in common. When her big, brown eyes gazed up at him briefly, he sucked in a sharp breath. She had _his _eyes.

Angela temporarily relieved Officer Diaz of his babysitting duties, waiting until he was gone before focusing back on Harvey and Lux.

"Lux, this is Harvey Specter… He's -"

Harvey quickly cut his friend off. He wasn't really sure what she had been about to say, but he didn't want the girl to know who he really was until his decision was final. Even someone as self-centered as him couldn't stand the thought of telling Lux that he was her father then disappearing from her life after he'd just met her. He would tell her when he was ready…when they were both ready. Whenever that was supposed to be.

Harvey quickly told her that he was just a friend of her mom's.

"Hi, Mr. Specter." The little girl smiled somewhat shyly, but he got the impression she wasn't really all that quiet.

"Hi…um, you can call me Harvey," he told her, not really sure what to say. He glanced down at the coloring book she was working on. "Could I sit here and uh, color with you?"

"Okay…_Harvey_," she said, sounding like she was trying to get used to saying it. He took a seat where the cop had been, chuckling when the girl reached forward and took Chris' picture and then proceeded to ask him if he'd rather color a 'Nemo' picture - he actually wasn't really sure what _Nemo _was - or a Cinderella one.

"Hm, let's go with…Cinderella," he decided with a grin, ignoring Angela's badly disguised laugh behind him.

Lux gave him a nod of approval, trying to neatly remove the picture from the book, though it turned out as anything but. She handed it to the awaiting lawyer along with a few colored pencils. Harvey looked down at the grayish paper at the outline of Cinderella dancing with…Prince Charming? He picked up the blue that Lux had eyed when he looked at the princess' dress, appearing conflicted, and began to color in the gown.

"Harvey…do you want me to stay?" Angela asked quietly.

"I think we'll be fine…" he assured her.

He watched as she then kneeled down next to the seven-year-old. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked. The little girl nodded, appearing slightly confused by the question.

Angela seemed satisfied before she stood up, letting them know she'd be in her office if they needed anything, before heading back. Harvey suddenly felt more anxious, as if he'd lost his translator in a foreign country. Which was sort of how this was…

The two colored in silence for a while. Every once and a while, Lux would lean forward to see his picture then sit back and shake her head, a small giggle escaping her lips. He knew the colors were probably all wrong, but it wasn't like he knew what color _Prince Charming's _pants were supposed to be - which was apparently white, not black.

"You're making him look like you!" Lux had laughed when she saw his page.

"No, he just has good taste," he'd joked.

Throughout the little drawing session, he noted how she never let go of her stuffed animal; she held onto it like it was some sort of life line, the only thing keeping her afloat. It was a medium sized tiger, so that Lux could probably wrap her arms completely around it, but only just. It was a faded orange and one of the ears was half-gone and there were stitching marks around it's front, right leg.

"I like your tiger," he spoke up finally. "Does he, uh, have a name?"

Lux looked up from her drawing, eyebrow furrowed momentarily until she processed the question. No one ever really asked her about her toys, so she'd been surprised.

"Thanks. My mommy got him for me when I was a baby. His name is Hobbes…after the comics, _Calvin and Hobbes_. That's why I named him," she held out the tiger to Harvey. "Hobbes. He's just like Calvin's tiger! Mommy and I used to look at those books all of the time…" Her voice trailed off and she held Hobbes closely, biting her lower lip. "But they all got ruined in the fire I think…"

Harvey instantly felt horrible as he saw Lux's lip wobble a little. _Please don't start crying. Please don't cry, _his mind begged. Surprisingly though, she managed to compose herself, though her eyes were still a bit watery. She picked up her yellow pencil and began on Rapunzel's long hair.

"I forgot Hobbes in Mommy's car, that's why he's okay too," she explained after a while. "But Aunt Evelyn will want me to throw him away…"

Harvey frowned, his brow furrowing. "Why would she want you to do that?"

Lux looked up at him. "She says he's too dirty and old to be played with. She said that toys like Hobbes belonged with people that looked like him!" Lux looked exasperated, as if what her aunt had said was the craziest thing she'd ever heard, which it sort of was.

"Then she and Uncle Marcus said they'd buy me some dolls if I threw him away," she huffed, her face was covered with frustration. "I _hate _Barbies."

Harvey did everything in his power to hold back a surprised laugh. The girl looked genuinely upset by the situation, and probably wouldn't let this 'Aunt Evelyn' drag that stuffed tiger out of her cold, dead hands. It was obvious that she was attached to the thing. He couldn't think of why someone would want to take him away from her.

"But she's just a snobby, rich bitch," the girl muttered then quickly clamped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide.

Harvey's head snapped up at the seven-year-old girl's comment, his eyes just as wide as hers. He smirked, knowing it would be wrong to laugh, but he couldn't help it. She was definitely Anna's daughter. _I wouldn't be surprised if she heard that _from _Anna, _he thought.

"Uh, Lux, you shouldn't say words like that…" he said hesitantly in an attempt to scold her, only failing miserably.

"Sorry," she giggled. "Mommy said I shouldn't say that either…but she said it was true."

"Hm, well Aunt Evelyn doesn't sound very nice."

"Nope! Mister…Harvey? Why are you all dressed up?" Lux asked suddenly. She gazed at his _'fancy' _suit inquiringly.

"Aha, uh, for my work." He carefully took off his suit jacket, realizing he didn't really need to be wearing it at the moment. "I'm a lawyer."

She thought for a moment, then leaned forward, placing her arms on the edge of the desk and placing her chin on top of her hands as she stared at him in awe. "So you put bad guys in jail?"

"Well not anymore…I'm a corp- I'm a lawyer for companies…" He wasn't entirely sure she would know what that meant but he couldn't think of another way to explain it.

Her brow furrowed; she leaned back in her chair again. Harvey hoped it was just out of confusion and not disappointment. Of course a child would be more interested in people who were basically modern-day heroes… _Wait_. Since when did _Harvey Specter _care whether or not he had the approval of a seven-year-old?

_ Since that seven-year-old turned out to be your kid._

"What do you want to be when you grow up, Lux?" he asked, hoping to change the subject. It seemed to be an easy question to start a conversation with. Little kids seemed to love it.

"I like to take pictures like Mommy, but she never let me use her camera unless she helped me. And I like animals, especially tigers! My mom said I would be a good animal photographer," she said enthusiastically. "But _my _camera, it was a lot smaller than Mommy's and it got lost in the fire."

Well now he had a simple idea for a birthday or Christmas present…

There was another long silence as the two become absorbed in their artwork once again. Harvey racked his brain for reasons to not take Lux, and he _was _coming up with plenty of reasons. But at the same time, when he thought them over, he realized how ridiculously selfish and self-conscious they all were. He couldn't just leave his daughter on her own because he was doubting himself. Harvey was never _not _sure of himself. Everywhere he went he was practically _oozing _confidence, and with everything he did, he _won_,so to speak. And now suddenly, he was letting something as conquerable as self-doubt get in the way of his decision making.

Who was he kidding? He didn't know _anything _about children, let alone actually _raising _one! And he was busy all of the time with work. And it was _summer_. What was he supposed to do with a second grader for practically ten hours a day while he was at the firm? What would his co-workers say when they heard about him being a dad? What would Jessica say when she found out? Hell, what would _Donna _do? People would think he'd gone soft…raising a little girl all on his own. And his condo! His place was not exactly the most child friendly house…

_What the hell, Harvey? You're so worried about your 'image.' Well what would people say if they knew you turned your back on your own kid? _his mind yelled at him. Sure he wasn't exactly 'dad material' and there was no way he'd ever get 'Dad of the Year,' but since when did Harvey Specter turn down a challenge? All of those things would be easy to work out if he tried.

And could he really leave little Lux to live with her Aunt and Uncle? From what she had said…it would almost be the equivalent of sending her to stay with _Louis. _

"Harvey?"

He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Lux's small voice. He looked up to see that she was now leaning back in her chair, Hobbes sitting on her lap, her tiny arms resting on the arms of the chair. She looked fairly confident as she watched him. The relaxed position reminded Harvey of how he tended to sit in his office.

"Yes?"

"The social worker is here to talk to Lux again," Angela said quietly as she walked past him. He nodded, keeping his gaze on the child.

She pursed her lips, hesitating for a moment as she stared him straight in the eye. Harvey swore he could see all of the thoughts whirling around in her mind as something seemed to almost click for her. He glanced to the side as Angela approached with an older woman. Lux stuck her leg out, lightly kicking the desk as she stared at her feet. She seemed awfully conflicted about what she was going to say. She tucked a strand of her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear and gazed up at Harvey, her brown eyes questioning.

"Are you my dad?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Here's chapter 3! I'm so happy people seem to be liking the story! I was so nervous about publishing it, but it's nice to see all of the favorites, alerts, and reviews :)

Thanks to **Emtheunicorn **and **Jemmz **for looking this over for me!

Disclaimer: I don't own Suits. If I did Donna would never ever have the threat of being fired and she and Rachel would go out for drinks and get super drunk again. And I would have a recurring role as Harvey's personal fangirl. Ha

Enjoy the story and be sure to review and tell me what you think!

Oh...and PS: I really have no knowledge of how the foster care and social services thing works, so there's probably incorrect info in there, but just ignore that ;)

* * *

"_In spite of the six thousand manuals on child raising in the bookstores, child raising is still a dark continent and no one really knows anything. You just need a lot of love and luck - and, of course, courage."_

-Bill Cosby, _Fatherhood_

Harvey could practically feel the blood drain from his face. She wasn't supposed to ask that! She had made no obvious signs of being about to ask that or even knowing _that_. He probably could've answered any question she threw his way…except the one she actually asked. Angela and the social worker, watched carefully, though Harvey wished they would step in and help him out a bit.

"Uh…"

"Because you look like a guy in some pictures my Mommy used to have…she said he was my dad."

Lux tilted her head to the side, and looked at the social worker and Angela. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, glancing back and forth between the lawyer and the child. The social worker, Mrs. Parks, slowly sat down in a nearby chair.

Harvey shifted in his seat. Anna had kept pictures of him? And told Lux who he was? He wondered if Lux was just realizing it or if she had just been waiting to ask. It would be easy to just say no, to tell her that maybe he just looked like the guy in the photos. But at the same time, he didn't know if he could bring himself to lie to her. Whatever he said would determine what he ended up doing about her. If he said no, obviously he would be giving up responsibility of her. And if he told her the truth, he couldn't just disappear. She'd just lost her mom, and then to lose her dad - even though she'd just met him - would be no doubt hard for a seven-year-old to understand.

Everyone was watching…waiting. His eyes flitted down to his picture briefly and when he looked up at the little girl, he simply smiled. Suddenly he could actually imagine raising Lux. He had missed seven years of her life, and now he had a chance to make up for that and something in the back of his mind told him to take it.

"Yes, Lux. I am."

The girl lit up at this, her brown eyes wide. She hadn't really been sure, and it was strange to actually hear that she had been correct. The little girl grinned at him for a moment, before suddenly frowning. Lux's eyes dropped to the floor and she turned her chair a little bit away from everyone. Brow furrowed she glared at her purple flip-flops and hugged Hobbes again. She had a conflicted expression on her face, and it worried Harvey a bit to see her apparently thinking so hard.

He was tempted to say something, even opened his mouth a few times, but he wasn't sure _what _to say in this situation. Maybe if she had been older it would've been easier to explain. But talking to a second grader about the situation was much more difficult. What if she asked where he'd been? How was he supposed to explain all of that to a child?

"Am I going to live with you?" she asked quietly.

Harvey hesitated again, glancing at the wary social worker and the slightly teary-eyed detective. _Great, _he thought. _Decision time._ He wasn't ready. He was nowhere _near _ready. Not that long ago, he hadn't even been sure he wanted to meet her! And now he was going to have to decide whether or not he took her in?

"I don't know, Lux." The lawyer looked at her, leaning back in his seat to seem more relaxed. "Do you want to?"

Lux thought for a moment then grinned widely. "Yes! I like you."

_There we go, _he thought. He still wasn't exactly confident about it, but the kid seemed to like the idea so that would at least help things, right? Maybe her willingness would help make things smoother…and less likely to push him away. Though he was sure the questions about him and her mother would arise at some point. They were inevitable really. But he imagined that he'd have more time to figure out some simple answers.

The social worker suddenly cut in, causing Harvey to scowl slightly. "How about we try it for a few days and see how it goes? Before we go making anything official."

Harvey and Lux nodded simultaneously. The little girl smiled, seeming satisfied with the arrangement. She swung her legs back and forth, glancing at each of the adults as she continued to hold her stuffed animal. Harvey was grateful that nothing was official yet…but he had a feeling that in Lux's eyes it was.

Suddenly there was a small gurgling sound coming from the girl's direction and she frowned, holding her stomach.

"I'm hungry…" she said slowly, automatically looking over at Angela who'd been caring for her for the past couple days.

"Oh, right. Sorry, honey. I forgot it was nearly dinner time! What would you like to eat?"

Lux thought for a moment before Harvey swore he could literally see a light bulb light up over her head.

"Can Harvey…my dad…take me out to dinner?" she asked hopefully, giving the detective and social worker her winning smile. Harvey couldn't help but be reminded of himself. It never took a whole lot to get things his way, which seemed to also be the case with his daughter.

"I don't see why not, but you should ask Harvey."

Lux turned back to her father, suddenly seeming to turn shy again. Harvey didn't even wait for her to speak before agreeing to take her to get food. Damn, he was getting soft. _This kid, _he thought, laughing quietly to himself.

"Why don't you go get your sweater first?" Angela suggested. Lux nodded and jogged over to her office.

Once she was gone, Harvey turned to his friend and the social worker.

"So what time should I have her back by?"

Angela's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"What time should I bring Lux back?"

"Whenever you two are done. She's staying with me another night so I'm ready whenever she is."

"What about her aunt and uncle? Aren't they getting into town today?" he asked. "Wouldn't they want to see her? I don't even have my place set up for a kid, Angela."

"Yeah, Evelyn and Marcus James arrived earlier today I guess. But they called and said they were 'too tired' to deal with Lux today," Angela explained, a slightly disgusted expression on her face. "They asked if they could just see her tomorrow or wait 'til the funeral in a couple days if they're too busy."

Harvey scowled. He didn't understand how an aunt and uncle could do that to their nearly-orphaned niece. And now he was going to have to figure out how to deal with the fact that his condo wasn't exactly 'child friendly'. He only had _his _bed, an insanely expensive couch, and white carpets…

"What am I getting myself into?" he said under his breath.

It was hard to believe that only about an hour or so ago he'd just found out that Lux existed, and now she was going to go live with him? But there didn't seem to be much of an alternative at the moment.

When Lux came back she made a point to say that she was in the mood for only sweet food. Harvey asked her what exactly she was thinking of, but the seven-year-old glanced towards Angela and Mrs. Parks and subtly shook her head. He chuckled and nodded.

The two walked around the neighborhood for a while, looking at the various restaurants and fast-food stops, though Lux rejected all of them. Harvey really wasn't sure what to feed the kid…well _a _kid. He'd never been out to dinner with someone who dragged around a stuffed tiger, hummed Disney music, and had to hold his hand whenever they crossed a street. And to be honest, he didn't know what to say to her either. It was about seven o'clock when Harvey checked his phone for the first time in hours. There were several missed calls, a couple from Donna, one from Mike, and a few more from Jessica. _Jessica. Damn it, _he thought, remembering the meeting he'd had scheduled with the managing partner. Quickly he dialed Donna's number, not feeling in the mood to deal with his boss' temper…or having to explain himself at the moment.

_"Harvey! Where have you been? Jessica's looking for you," _Donna answered.

"Downtown Manhattan…"

_"What are you doing there?"_

Harvey glanced down at Lux as she reached to grasp his hand as they neared another crosswalk. It was strange, to have a child holding his hand, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't actually flinch the first time she did it. He'd been tempted to lightly pull away, but couldn't actually find it in him to do it.

"Personal reasons," he finally replied. "I'll explain later."

_"Later?"_

"Alright. Tomorrow. Just tell Jessica that I'll talk to her tomorrow." he said impatiently.

_"Sure_._"_

Harvey hung up and put the phone back in his jacket when he felt Lux tug a little at his sleeve. He turned his head to look down at her.

"Who was that?" she asked curiously, arching her eyebrows as if he owed her some sort of explanation.

"My assistant," he answered then looked back up. "And uh, my _friend_."

Lux's brow furrowed. "Your friend? But you weren't being very nice."

"I -"

Lux suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Harvey turned to see the little girl staring at a large candy store. He smirked, arching his eyebrows as she glanced at him and leaned towards the shop. She gave him a hopeful smile as he walked over and knelt down in front of her.

"Candy isn't dinner," he said slowly.

"I know. I don't want _candy_." She skipped towards the door, ignoring Harvey as he followed after her.

She walked in and looked up at the shelves and jars of candy surrounding her before making her way over to a glace window at the counter, pressing her palms against it and peering in.

"Ice cream," Harvey laughed when he reached her. "I don't think ice cream qualifies as a real meal either, kid."

"Why not? Strawberry Sor-bet has strawberries. Aren't those good for you?"

The lawyer couldn't help but grin at how proud she seemed to be over her logic. It was such a 'kid thing' to say, but it was cute. He shook his head lightly.

"Sor-bay," he sounded out for her. "And yes, but there's so much sugar in it, it doesn't really count."

Lux huffed in annoyance and continued to gaze at the dessert sadly. Harvey suggested an array of foods such as: pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, Chinese, McDonalds (thought he quietly suggested that one, not really wanting any child of his to eat that). But Lux simply sighed and shrugged. After a while, a very exhausted Harvey decided he just needed the kid to get some food...and maybe he could make some sort of deal while he was at it.

"Okay, kiddo. How about if I let you get ice cream, you promise to behave when I have to bring you to my office for a little while tomorrow?" He cocked his head to the side as Lux considered this.

One glance at the ice cream though and she was all in. She nodded and hurriedly told him she wanted rainbow sherbet as if he might change his mind any second. Harvey ordered, watching as Lux was practically jumping with excitement as he handed her the small cup.

"Aren'tcha gonna get somethin' too?" she asked, stuffing a spoonful of her sugary dinner in her mouth.

"Not in this suit," he replied with a small laugh, leading her out of the store.

* * *

By the time they got back, the sugar was beginning to hit her. Harvey could only compare her to Mike when he'd pulled an all-nighter and spent the entire day talking a mile a minute and acting like well…a child.

When they ran into Ms. Parks on her way out, Harvey sent Lux to go find Angela while the two talked.

"So basically, this will be like you're fostering Lux…a sort of trial basis to see if you can handle it and if Lux is comfortable. Obviously this is a spur of the moment situation, but if we can avoid putting her into any sort of group home or emergency foster home, no matter how temporary, that'd be great. They typically aren't the best places to be honest," Ms. Parks explained as the two sat on a bench outside.

Harvey listened, trying to figure out how everything was going to work.

"And from what I know, Lux's aunt and uncle are also available to take her in if you decide to not take custody of her."

"Right…"

"And we'll schedule a short walk-through of your home and probably be running a few background checks within the week, it's a simple procedure to ensure children are being placed into proper homes. But from what I've heard, Mr. Specter, I think we can trust you to watch out for her," she said with a smile. "There shouldn't be much of a problem when it comes down to custody, if that is the road you wish to go down, since Anna did request in her will that you take her. You should be able to take her home with you as soon as tomorrow; we started some background checks when we heard about the will to speed things up."

"And…hypothetically speaking…if I decided to not adopt her, what would happen?"

Ms. Parks looked down for a moment. "Let's cross that bridge if we come to it…"

"Okay… Well um thank you for your time, Mrs. Parks." Harvey smiled, shaking her hand and waving as she walked away.

Once she was out of sight, he frowned, his brow cinching together. What kind of answer was that? _Let's cross that bridge if we come to it. _Harvey wondered if she'd met or at least 'researched' Lux's aunt and uncle. He was surprised that she _wasn't _suggesting that they take her. The whole situation wasn't like he would've expected something like this to go.

* * *

Lux had wandered into Ms. Meers' office, tossing her empty ice cream cup into the trash and starting her story on how she and Harvey had walked around _forever _until she found the candy store - that also had ice cream - and how she'd promised to be good when they went to his office and then he'd gotten her ice cream. She grinned proudly and told the detective that it was a win-win.

The woman laughed, thinking of how she sounded so much like Harvey.

The small girl paced for a while, going on to talk about a thousand different subjects, never staying on one for very long. And luckily by the time Harvey arrived, she was sitting on the small couch, leaning against the arm and hugging her stuffed tiger closely as her. Her eyelids fluttered and her head drooped forward. Both adults were surprised at how quickly she'd crashed from her 'sugar high.'

Harvey hovered by the door for a while, watching Lux as she curled up in the corner of the sofa, fighting to stay awake. Angela cocked an eyebrow, finding it strange to see him like this. The only other people he really got even remotely protective over were her, his brother Nathan, his assistant and longtime friend Donna, and maybe even his new associate…Mitch…or Mike? But a kid he'd just met? _Fatherhood could actually suit him, _she thought to herself.

"You can go home now if you want, Harv. I think she'll be fine."

"What? Oh, yeah. I'll call Ray," he muttered, pulling out his Blackberry.

"Still can't believe you have a driver," she laughed quietly, moving to put Lux's sweater over her for a makeshift blanket.

"Jealous?" he teased, turning a little when the driver picked up. "He'll be here in about ten minutes I think. He's not that far away."

Angela nodded and went back to her seat while Harvey leaned against the open door frame.

When Ray arrived, Angela told him he could pick Lux up at their place around seven. She'd be gone but Nathan would be there. He nodded and said goodnight to her and Lux, who simply gave him a weak wave and finally fell asleep. Harvey smiled minutely, his lips forming a tight line when he caught Angela eyeing him curiously. He shook his head and left silently, desperately wanting to get home, have a drink or two and relax.

Harvey was pleased when Ray didn't ask any questions, though he told him anyway. Figured he might as well do it then rather than when they went to pick up Lux. Ray smiled back at him and told him that he'd been just as nervous when his kid was born, but he'd figure it out. Harvey was silent for the rest of the drive, mentally going over how he would deal with having a kid in his condo...and his life. He had a guest bedroom that was really just storage at this point and a study he never used… _I don't really need a study, _he thought. He could probably order a bed that night and they could get other things later on when or…_if _he officially adopted her. But he really couldn't have her sleeping on his couch while she stayed there. He glanced over at Lux, who still had ice cream around her mouth. He'd have to get some kid foods too. She probably wouldn't want to eat anything he attempted to cook, and Donna would kill him if he tried to feed her take-out every night. And clothes! She'd need new clothes too…

_What the hell are you doing?_ his brain shouted at him.

_I don't know, _he wanted to reply. _I really don't know. _


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Thanks sooo much for all of the reviews, favorites, and alerts! It means a lot to me! I'm glad to know people like this story :) I've been reading a TON of Suits fics lately, and I've come to the conclusion that Mike Ross is our male/"lawyer" version of Bella Swan...or we just love to abuse him so we can prove Harvey cares ha. And I actually just wrote a sad!Mike, caring!Harvey oneshot :D Make sure to check it out

Also, I'm going to be in LA for a week so I probably won't be able to update at all next week! Sorryyyy

Big thanks to **Jemmz **for looking this over for me!

And random little Suits rant/disclaimer(feel free to skip): OH MY GOD, I'm going to DIE because of Suits. If I owned Suits, Donna would still be Harvey's amazing BAMF assistant and Louis' cat would still be alive(i actually felt REALLY bad for him) and Harold would be my puppy and I'd follow Mike and Harvey around all day. Ha on and I'd probably be Satine's babysitter while she's on set cuz she's just too cute (take the below quote for example)

Make sure to review and let me know what you think :)

* * *

"_Everybody can get love. And strangers. Even homeless people and dogs. Everybody in this entire world." _

-Satine Macht to her father, Gabriel Macht

"Lux! Are you ready to go?" Harvey heard his brother, Nathan, calling behind the door.

"Yes!" the girl's voice replied.

Harvey gave his brother a small smile when he finally opened the door. Nathan moved to the side to let him in as he continued to brush his teeth. The lawyer stepped into the small townhouse that his brother and Angela shared. It was cute, comfortable, but definitely not Harvey's style. He wouldn't trade his penthouse condo for anything. But the little townhouse fit the couple nicely.

"Hey, Harv. Haven't seen you in a while!" Nathan laughed, leaning forward to give him a hug.

"Yeah, we'll have to go for drinks sometime. And get a haircut, will ya?" Harvey lightly pushed his kid brother's dark hair back.

"It's not _that _bad."

Suddenly the little strawberry-blonde appeared from the kitchen, a chocolate chip waffle in her right hand and of course, a stuffed tiger in the left. Her curly hair was in a small ponytail and she was wearing a pair of matching, dark blue, polar bear pajamas and what appeared to be an adult's pair of slippers.

"Hi!" she said, lifting her legs up high when she walked in an attempt to keep the footwear on.

"Hey, kiddo. Why are you still in your PJs?" Harvey laughed.

"And my slippers?" Nathan chimed in, grinning.

"Why can't I wear this?" She frowned. "They've got polar bears, see?"

"Sorry, man. I thought she was dressed already." Nathan stepped forward, sweeping the little girl up into his arms. Apparently she'd taken a liking to him as well, Harvey noticed as she burst into a fit of giggles, barely keeping her hold on the food in her hand.

Harvey followed to the kitchen while Nathan sent Lux back to the guest room to change into regular clothes. He shook his head when his brother offered him a cup of coffee, knowing Donna would probably already have one for him at the office (that would already be his second cup), and leaned back against the kitchen table. Nathan sat on a stool by the counter and ran his fingers through his dark brown hair.

The younger man stared at his brother inquiringly. The lawyer could tell the first of many conversations he didn't want to have, was about to happen.

"So you've got a kid…"

"I've got a kid…"

"Cool…" Nathan nodded, his blue eyes shining with amusement. "So I'm an uncle now?"

Harvey rolled his eyes and nodded at his younger brother.

"What are you gonna do?" He leaned back, his elbows resting on the edges of the counter behind him.

"Still thinking about it."

Nathan stared at him for a moment, brow furrowed. He'd never been able to read his older brother… No, that was Harvey's thing, reading people. But to most other's, the man was simply a wall. Only a few could tell what he was thinking and feeling at any given time. But for the first time, Nathan could see past Harvey's emotionless façade.

"No you're not. You've already decided, haven't you?"

A faint smile appeared on Harvey's face before his lips formed a tight line once again. He shrugged.

"What makes you think that?" he asked, just as they heard the small pitter patter of Lux running back out to them. He looked down at the little girl. She was wearing a white t-shirt and jean shorts, completed with pink flip-flops. "Ready to go, kid?"

"Mhm!" She nodded, gripping her backpack strap and skipping towards the front door, Harvey and Nathan following behind her.

"…Because how could you say no to _that_?" Nathan whispered, pointing at Lux as she spun to the door, stumbling a bit before regaining her balance at smiling at them as if she hoped no one had noticed.

Harvey didn't reply as he opened the door, rolling his eyes at his brother. He had to admit, the kid was adorable. He knew what he everyone else thought he should do…but he really wasn't sure if that was the best thing for _Lux_. But as much as he told himself that he wasn't it, he wasn't finding himself totally convinced.

"Well we've got to get to the office," Harvey said, sounding less than happy. "Jessica's going to have my ass about missing a meeting yesterday and I've got to worry about explaining this uh…situation…also."

"Right." Nathan stepped out with him as Lux bounded down the steps towards the sidewalk, chuckling when he noticed Harvey watching the child with a strained expression. "Relax, Harv. She's right there."

"What? Oh, right. Well thanks for helping out with this."

"No problem. She's a great kid, you know. And for the record, I think you should do it. You'd be a good dad, Harv." Nathan grinned, patting Harvey on the back as he walked down the steps. The older man simply nodded in return before joining the little girl.

* * *

Lux had been completely shocked to discover that Harvey had his own driver. She spent the entire drive to the firm talking about how she and her mother usually took the subway and all of the weird things and people she saw. She liked the subway only because of the different musicians that were down there sometimes, so that she never got bored while they waited. But she didn't enjoy all of the 'mean looking' people that smelt like smoke and other things. Harvey chuckled, and said they probably wouldn't use the subway if he could help it. Lux didn't seem to mind. She liked the idea of them having their own 'personal taxi.'

Ray and the little girl seemed to get along immediately, and Harvey figured maybe she just had that effect on people. When they arrived at the firm, Lux hopped out of the car then leaned back in to tell Ray goodbye.

"Goodbye to you too, Lux. It was nice to meet you," he replied, smiling.

"I like you," she decided with a grin as she waved, causing both Harvey and Ray to laugh. She turned around to look up at the building that towered over them. "Wow."

"C'mon, kiddo."

Lux followed behind him, holding Hobbes tightly as they entered what looked like a sea of suits and briefcases. They quickly made their way into the building**,** then up to Pearson Hardman. The little girl stuck as close as possible to the lawyer, tightly gripping his sleeve during the elevator ride.

Harvey became incredibly tense the second they entered the firm, avoiding eye contact with everyone. He was very much aware of the many eyes on him and the seven-year-old following beside him. The lawyer purposely avoided the associates' area, Jessica's office, and Louis' as well. It wasn't the most direct route but it was faster than having to stop to explain to three very curious people.

When they reached Harvey's office, Donna glanced up and immediately her eyes widened. She arched her eyebrows, staring up at her boss as he came to a stop at her desk. She slowly handed him his coffee, looking perplexed by the presence of a child in the firm…let alone with _Harvey Specter. _

"Donna…" he began.

"Hi!" Lux piped up, cutting him off. "I'm Lux."

The assistant smiled down at the child. "Hello, Lux. That's a very pretty name. I'm Donna."

"Thanks. It means 'light'. My mommy used to always call me Sunshine," the girl giggled.

"Does it? I like that nickname…somehow I think it fits you," Donna said. "Where is your mommy?"

Lux shifted her weight from one foot to the other, staring at her feet. Harvey pursed his lips, but said nothing. What could he say while Lux was standing right there that wouldn't upset her more?

"Dunno," she said as she leaned against Harvey's leg, looking up at Donna. "My mommy died."

Donna's smile suddenly disappeared as she glanced up at Harvey whose frowned deepened. They both stared down at the little girl who didn't seem very fazed by her statement. She made it sound so simple.

"Oh uh…I'm sorry…"

"It's okay." Her voice was a little quieter but when she glanced up at the lawyer she grinned again. "I'm gonna live with Harvey now!"

The assistant gaped at them. "Harvey?"

He nodded. "Lux is -"

"He's my dad!"

Seeing that he was about to be bombarded with questions, he quickly ushered the little girl into his office. He let her wander around for a moment, clearing his throat loudly whenever she tried to touch any of the gifts from various clients. She arched her eyebrows at him when he told her not to mess with any of the basketballs and questioned why he needed so many. Even Donna, who stood in the doorway behind him, could see his whole body stiffen as Lux made her way to the shelves of vinyl. They were surprised to see that she didn't even attempt to reach out and touch the records. She just looked.

"My mommy had a lot of these," she said finally. "We listened to them all the time."

Lux turned away from the shelves and walked past the lawyer and assistant out of the office. Harvey arched his eyebrows and turned to see the girl now examining Donna's desk.

"You should have your own office." Lux grinned up at the red-head.

Donna nodded, smiling. "You know, I think you're right." She turned to her boss. "I like her."

Harvey rolled his eyes and quickly picked up the child, placing her on Donna's chair.

"Uh, why don't you stay here? And I'm going to go talk to Donna, alright?"

Lux nodded in understanding.

"And don't go anywhere."

Harvey and Donna stepped back into the office, shutting the door. He took a seat and resting his elbows on the edge of his desk. Donna sat down as well and looked at her boss expectantly. Harvey's eyes seemed glazed over, like he wasn't really there. The assistant cleared her throat loudly in an attempt to bring him back.

"Since when do you have a daughter?" she questioned when he still said nothing.

Harvey stared at her, only giving her a small nod. He glanced out at Lux as she turned back and forth on Donna's chair.

"I just found out about her yesterday, Donna," Harvey sighed. "You remember Anna, right? Anna Rhodes?"

Donna nodded. She remembered how infatuated he'd been with Anna…more so than any other woman she'd seen Harvey date. Donna had met her a few times when she came to visit Harvey at the office back when he'd really only _just_ become a junior partner. Their actual interaction though was minimal, just a polite "hello" and "goodbye" and asking how the other's day was. Harvey had spoken about Anna often, and it had both surprised and pleased Donna to see her boss act so differently when it came to her. But one day he simply stopped. He didn't talk about her, only focused on his work, and went back to his one night stands. All he seemed willing to tell her was that it didn't work out. But she knew that it had to have been Anna that broke it off…

"I think that's why she left…she was pregnant."

"W-Wait…so that's _Anna's _kid?"

"Yeah…the call yesterday. It was Nathan's girlfriend. She's a cop. She uh…told me that Anna died a few days ago. House fire…and in her will she wanted _me _to take custody of _our _daughter."

"So are you going to take custody of her?"

Harvey pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes tightly. "I don't know."

Donna shook her head, standing up and walking over to wear Harvey kept the scotch. She grabbed two glasses and poured some for both of them. She held one out to her boss before taking her seat, watching sympathetically as he threw it back immediately. Donna did the same, knowing she would probably be half-raising this kid.

_Harvey Specter and a seven-year-old girl. This ought to be good__, s_he thought.

* * *

Mike quickly scanned over the papers as he made his way toward his boss' office. He was still worried about the day before…never really having seen Harvey look so concerned or even slightly panicked. But whatever that person had said to him on the phone had been enough to send Harvey running – well, walking quickly - out of Pearson Hardman for the rest of the day.

He shook his head, trying not to think about it. It didn't matter. Whatever it was, Harvey had probably dealt with it. He was at work today and so everything was probably perfectly fine.

"Hey, Donna? I need to give Harvey these new contracts for -" When Mike finally glanced up from his reading, he was taken aback when he saw that it wasn't the usual red-head sitting in front of Harvey's office, but a little girl.

She smiled up at him as Mike glanced around in confusion.

"Um…"

"Who are you?" she asked, cocking her head to the side and staring at him with her big, brown eyes. Mike couldn't help but find them oddly familiar.

"Mike…Ross. Who are you? Where are your parents?" He could see Harvey and Donna in the office, talking about something serious, but neither seemed to be keeping an eye on the child sitting right outside.

"I'm Lux. My dad told me to wait here because he's got to talk to...Donna."

The associate blinked at the girl. He stared down at her, then over at Harvey, then back at Lux. "Y-Your _dad_?"

"What do you need, Mike?" a voice said from the door, causing his head to snap up and for Lux to turn around surprised. Donna and Harvey stood in the doorway, looking at the younger man impatiently.

"I uh…I just brought the um, the new Reilly-Watson contracts that you wanted…" he stuttered, his eyes flitting over to Lux who had slid off the chair and was currently squeezing between Harvey and Donna's legs to get back into the office.

"Right…actually I need you to do something for here," Harvey said gruffly, waving his associate into the office as Donna returned to her seat.

Mike nodded, following him in. Lux was kneeling on the leather couch, going through her small backpack, yanking out a couple books, a sweater, and a pair of pajamas, and a few little stuffed animals that her new uncle had given her. Mike glanced at his boss who was eyeing the small mess distastefully. Seeing the look as well, Lux quickly put everything but the few toys.

"Lux, this is Mike. I'm his boss," Harvey said with a smirk. Lux giggled as Mike rolled his eyes at the older man. "And Mike, this is Lux…uh she's my…._I'm her dad_."

Even Mike was slightly surprised at his own reaction to the confirmation. He _laughed. _Harvey arched his eyebrows as Lux frowned in confusion. She really didn't understand what was so funny about what Harvey had said. And no one else was laughing…

"Are you joking? _You _have a kid?" Mike asked, still grinning foolishly. When Harvey nodded sharply, glaring at his associate, the smile quickly left his face. "You're not joking."

"No, I'm not. And I've got to go talk to Jessica, so I need _you _to babysit," Harvey said with a smirk. "You okay with that, Lux?"

The little girl shrugged, watching the associate as if she really wasn't sure what she thought about him yet. He didn't appear mean…so she figured he was probably okay. After a minute or so she nodded.

Mike scowled at the assignment. But before he could protest, Harvey was already walking out of the door. Annoyed, he walked to the doorway.

"What am I supposed to do with her?" he called to his boss, sounding exasperated.

Harvey turned, walking backwards for a moment, hands in his pockets. "Be a good puppy and figure it out!" he replied, cocking his head to the side before turning away again.

Mike gaped at him. Did his boss really just tell him he had a kid and then leave him to babysit her? Donna snickered from her desk as he returned to Harvey's office where the little girl now stood in the middle**,** looking up at him with a puzzled expression. He pursed his lips, but didn't know what to say. He wasn't particularly good with children, especially when he had to deal with them alone. And this was apparently his _boss' _daughter…

"Did he just call you a puppy?" she laughed. "Can I call you that too?"

"Oh, boy," Mike muttered. Apparently he had a mini Harvey on his hands.

* * *

Harvey had taken his time getting to his boss' office, brainstorming how to explain his newfound situation. He'd never really felt nervous around Jessica, but now he did. Having to reveal the fact that he had a seven-year-old that he hadn't known existed until yesterday was simply unnerving. With Donna it had been a bit simpler since she had actually known Anna, and he just spit it out when it came to Mike. He'd never even talked about his ex-girlfriend with his boss though…or the thought of ever being a father. And now he had to spring the fact that he actually was on this long-time friend and mentor.

He'd stepped into her office and immediately taken a seat on the empty couch. Sensing something was off by the random intrusion, Jessica had joined him on the chair across from him and simply waited in silence. After a few minutes or so, Harvey told her everything. She listened thoughtfully, and if she had been surprised or shocked, she didn't show it. Seeing the lost expression on the senior partner's face, she simply told him that she was sorry about his loss, she thought he'd make an excellent father, and if he needed anything to feel free to let her know. He nodded and stood up to leave, wanting to get back to see how his associate was holding up.

"And Harvey," she said as he reached for the door handle.

He paused, turning to look at her as she strode back to her desk.

"Congratulations on becoming a father," Jessica finished, her tone somewhat joking as she smiled at him.

"Thank you, Jessica," he replied with a small laugh.

* * *

Harvey stood outside of his office, beside Donna's desk. He gazed inside at Lux as she played with Mike. She was giggling over something Mike had said, then they continued with some sort of game they were playing with some of her toys. He watched as she pretended to tackle him with Hobbes, wrapping the stuffed tiger's arms around the associate's face. Mike toppled over backwards, surprised, causing Lux to fall on top of him as she laughed even harder.

"That kid," he muttered.

"Which one?" Donna smirked, looking up at her boss.

Harvey suppressed a laugh as he leaned against her desk. "So what do you think?"

"About what?"

"Lux…" He wasn't one to usually care for another's approval, but he actually cared about Donna's opinion. She was one of his oldest friends and he trusted her to give him an honest answer.

She was silent for a moment. "She's a good kid. _I _like her." Donna turned in her chair to look into the office as well, smirking when Mike let Lux crawl onto his back, standing up and facing them. He shrugged and said something to the girl who waved at them before directing the lawyer to walk around the office.

"She's got you two wrapped around her finger, doesn't she?"

"Ha! I think she's got anyone she meets."

Donna laughed. She might have only just met the kid, but it was hard _not _to like her. The little girl was a ball of energy and quite humorous to watch while Mike babysat. At one point, she'd even come out, dragging Mike by his hand, asking if she could take the puppy to the vending machine in the break room that he'd told her about, and that was nearly enough for her to decide she loved her.

She sighed. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to do it, Donna. I'm going to take care of her…"

"Okay. Good," she said with a smile. "It's nice to see you _caring _about someone. Should I start making a list of things you're going to need to buy?"

Harvey rolled his eyes, but quickly took her up on the offer.

Suddenly the little girl burst out of the office in a fit of giggles, jumping forward to tug at Harvey's hand.

"Come play with us, Daddy!" she laughed, then paused suddenly. "Um, sorry…Harvey."

Donna clasped her hand over her mouth, staring up at her boss with wide eyes. He faltered momentarily. The little girl let go of his hand, shuffling her feet uncomfortably. Inside the office, Mike tilted his head to the side, wondering why everyone had odd expressions on their faces suddenly.

"Th-that's okay, kiddo." He glanced over at his assistant whose eyes were actually watering. "You don't have to call me Harvey, Lux."

She beamed at him. Lux hadn't meant for the word, "Daddy" to slip out, but for some reason it had. She'd been worried that it would upset him, and was surprised when he gave his approval. Harvey knelt down in front of her to ask what they were playing. After thinking for a moment - she wasn't entirely sure what their game could be categorized as - she decided on zoo. Apparently, Mike was a _baby _wolf, Hobbes was the tiger (obviously) and she was the baby lion. He chuckled and asked what he would be as he carefully lifted her up into his arms, walking back into the office.

"You can be…_Daddy _Lion," she decided finally, grinning.

"Alright," Harvey nodded. "Daddy Lion it is."


End file.
